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25 Jan 2018

Why being there for your employees is an invaluable decision

As we head into February, the post-Christmas slump is well and truly underway. Dark skies, short days and sunny holidays seem a light year away and many employees are likely to be feeling the strain of everything a new year brings.

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A stress epidemic

Everyday life of trying to balance the requirements of work and home can put extra pressure on all of us. According to a report published by Health and Safety Executive in 2016/17, stress, depression or anxiety accounted for 49% of all working days lost due to ill health.

Stress can cause a range of physical and mental symptoms that are likely to interfere with an employee’s work/life balance, their motivation at work, engagement and their level of sickness absence. It is therefore important that  employees can access support that is both confidential but one that offers good practical advice that can help them work through their concerns.

Financial worries

Post-Christmas many people have worries about finances because of the festive period spending. According to research conducted by the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute, 5% of employees in the UK are saying that they are finding it difficult to make ends meet.

Poor financial wellbeing can cause problems at work that may result in unexpected absences, distraction, reduced motivation and reduced engagement. That is why many employers help their employees work through financial difficulties by offering a free and easy service to help mitigate this impact on their work/life balance.

Being there for your employees

Luckily, there are cost-effective programmes that employers can implement to avoid reaching a crisis point. A great example of this is an Employee Assistance Programme, which provides a free and confidential telephone counselling service available 24/7, and online support to assist with a wide range of issues including stress and financial worries.

The Employee Assistance Programme can help employees get their work/life balance on track, enabling them to be more productive at work and happier at home. A good work/life balance also improves an employee’s health and wellbeing.

By being there for your employees, you can help reduce absenteeism, stress and demotivation in the workplace. Through providing a means for employees to discuss what’s worrying them, your staff can be supported throughout their career. This means that as an employer you can foster a positive and supporting environment to help your workforce perform at its very best.

This article was provided by Busy Bees Benefits.